Mak Tok

Mak tok was the funniest woman I had ever known and loved in my life. Every now and then, I would sit down and think of the funny memories, happiness, joy and love she had given me. And how wonderful a person she was and will always be.

Memory #1: Marah kalau aku mandi sebelum sapu rumah dengan ugutan nak pulas telinga aku sampai putus.
She used to be SUPER mad at me if I took a bath BEFORE sweeping the floor. For me, (and I'm sure for most of you out there as well) I was like "What's the big deal?"
But it was for her. Oh yes it is.

Aku baru melangkah masuk pancoq (bilik air daa) when I heard she said, "Amboi awat yang nak p mandi dulu? Sapu rumah tak, apa tak, nak p mandi dah?!"

Aku meramas-ramas muka (konon stress gila la) "La... mak tok, apa salahnya mandi dulu? Apa salahnya? Bukannya nak p keja contract pun lepaih mandi ni.. sapu rumah ja pun...huhu."

"Jangan dok menjawab mai kat sini. P ambik penyapu, sapu rumah, sapu keliling rumah skali."

"Rumah Mak Aji, rumah Mak Nah, rumah Tok Mami, rumah Mak Cik Lijah suma tak payah sapu jugak ka?" Aku dengan selamba dan tak takot telinga putusnya menjawab.

"Toksah dok buat loyaq buruk sini na."

Lalu aku pun mencapai penyapu dan menyapu dengan gagahnya...

Memory #2: Suka tengok drama Melayu pastu paksa aku tengok sama.
She loved Malay dramaaa... couldn't live a day without watching it. Especially Yusof Haslam punya drama.
She watched it dengan penuh penghayatan. Aku rasa pelakon yang tu pn tak menghayati mcm dia.

When it comes to the bad guys, she would be SUPER mad and said, "Dia ni mau ambik penyapu, penyapu tu celup dalam ayaq acaq, mau libaih tang muka tu. Baru padan dengan muka."

Aku ternganga. Uish marah betoi mak tok. Tapi banyak betoi steps sebelum nak libas muka orang jahat tuh.
1. Kena cari penyapu.
2. Kena cari ayaq acaq. Mana plak nak cari ayaq acaq?
3. Kena celup penyapu dalam ayaq acaq. Geli aih.
4. Kena usung pulak penyapu ayaq acaq apa suma tu, bawak p kat orang jahat tu balik. Dah la celup dalam ayaq acaq dah cukup geli. Ni nak kena usung pulak. Libas pulak tu. Mesti merecik terkena muka kita punya.

Hurm.. toksah la senang. Maafkan aja la orang jahat tu.

Memory #3: Bersiap-siap nak pi marhaban.
She used to be in PERKIM and went to a lot of marhaban invitations. So every time she got a marhaban invitation, she would prepare what she was going to wear the night before. Usually she would ask for my help to get her baju kurung.

"Anja, p naik ambik baju ijau mak tok kat ataih." (She slept downstairs sebab senang nak pegi toilet and begadoh manja dengan tok ayah)

"Ok," aku pun naik dengan pantas dan tuntas. Selang beberapa minit, aku bawak turun baju ijau dia.

"Bukan yang ni.. ni kuning."

"Huh?" aku bukak mata besaq2 and tengok balik baju tu. "Ni ijau la mak tok."

"Bukan.. ni kuning.. mak tok mau yang ijau tu.."

"Ni bukan kuning mahupun yellow la mak tok ku sayang... Tak pecaya tanya tok ayah."

"Tok ayah hang nanti nampak ungu teruih. Dah2 p amik yang ijau tu."

Since then I figured out that her eyes were no longer clear enough to differentiate colours. And I was sad.

Anyway, the next day, she was the first one to be ready to go. Kawan-kawan yang usually pegi marhaban dengan dia selalu tension sebab dia SANGAT punctual, and sebab she would breathe down their neck.

For instance, she had a friend named Tok Teh who lived just behind our house.

She would go out to Tok Teh's house and asked loudly, "Tok Teh oi... ni semua orang dh siap dh ni.. cheq (that means "you") dok buat apa? Dok bubuh bulu mata ka Tok Teh oi?"

And Tok Teh answered, "Tak aih dok pakai rambut tumpang."

Yeah. So that was my mak tok. Funny. Loving. Cute. Adorable. Unforgettable.
What's not to love?

I miss you, mak tok. Everytime I think of you, I hug you in my heart.
Al-Fatihah.